Switch



Dec. 28, 1943. E, G GAY'NQR 2,337,309

SWITCH Filed Feb. 13, 1942 INVENTOR 29 0w/N 6. GA y/voz Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in switches and has particular relation to a switch especially adapted for use in alternating current circuits.

The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved switch;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken as along the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the inner side of one of the sections of the switch housing;

Fig. 5 is a similar view but of the other section of the switch housing;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the operating lever and the contact carried by such lever;

Fig. '7 is a plan View of the part of Fig 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modification.

Referring in detail to the drawing and at first particularly to Figs. 1 through 7, the switch of the invention includes a housing generally indicated at H! and comprising a pair of complemental parts II and H2 of insulating material, preferably a molded plastic. Part l2 comprises essentially an elongated body portion 13 and a neck or entrance portion M shown as integral with the said body portion. Part I2 is hollow (see Fig. 4) being provided with an internal longitudinal recess l5 extending from beyond the midpoint of the part toward one end thereof and terminating in a lead receiving channel It. The inner end of recess l5 enters a socket ll. A solid wall it of the body portion I2 is provided with an opening it for the passage of an eyelet or rivet. opposite socket I! and has an entrance groove the rear wall 25 of which is cut away or recessed as best shown in Fig. 3.

Part II also comprises an elongated body des ignated 2! and an entrance or neck portion 22. A ridge 23 in the form of an inverted U on the outer side of the part I-l centers and protects a contact tab 24 as will appear. Within body H is a socket 25 located midway the length Neck portion M is of the body. Channel 26 extends through the inner face of the part II to one outer end of such part and in the opposite end portion or said part is an eyelet or rivet receiving opening I9. Opposite socket 25 neck portion 22 is pro vided with an entrance groove the rear wall H of which is inclined as shown to provide a fulcrum edge 28.

Within the housing It is a stationary contact 29 in the form of the silvered head of a shank till passing through the side wall of section it of the casing and the tab 24 and headed over on the same as at M. Clearly contact 29 is stationary being clamped against the inner surface of housing section H and substantially located in the recess or socket 25 above mentioned. Any suitable lead wire may be soldered or the like to tab 25 and it will be understood that shank 3E5 may be soldered at 3i.

A second contact 33 within the housing is mounted on the inner end portion of an operating means or manual 34 in the form of a lever; Means 34 enters the housing It] through the opening provided by the grooves 26 and Zlwhen the parts ll and I2 are assembled. Also con nected with the inner end portion of the means 35 is a strip 35 of a spring metal and such strip is located in the elongated recess 15 in part E2. The arrangement of the parts is such that the contacts 29 and 33 are in alignment with one another and they are normally kept in engagement by a coil spring 35 located in the socket I! at the side of the inner end portion of the operat- A lead 31 is con ing means 34. (See Fig. 3.) nected with the strip 35 in spaced relation to the operating means 34.

In the assembled switch the open or hollow sides of the housing parts H and 12 are against one another being held in such relation by any suitable means as for example eyelet or rivet 38 passing through the openings IS in such parts.

The mutual action'of the housing parts results in the operating means 34, the strip 35 and the contact 33 being held in place. Channels [6 and 26 provide a passageway for the lead wire 31. Spring 36 maintains the contact 33 in engagement with the contact 29 and further maintains the intermediate portion of the operating means 34 in engagement with the fulcrum edge 2.. and the portions of such means opposite and:

beyond such edge in engagement with the flat wall portion 39 of the neck portion [4; Such last mentioned wall portion forms a stop positively limiting movement of the operating means about the fulcrum edge 25 under the urging of the spring 36.

To open the circuit through contacts 29 and 33 it is but necessary to rock the operating means 34 on the fulcrum edge 28 in a manner to carry the contac away from the contact 23, this movement being in opposition to the coil spring 36. As above suggested the switch of the invention is especially designed for use with alternating current and as an alternating circuit is best broken by a slow motion the movable contact of the switch may be and is mounted directly on the operating means or manual 34. Such an arrangement vastly simplifies the construction of the switch.

It is also pointed out that the spring 36 is directly in line with the movement it is opposing and parallel to and in line with the longitudinal axis of the contacts. The movable contact parts and the operating means are all held in their positions by the mutual action of the pair of parts II and I2 comprising the switch housing so that there are no separate assemblying operations of mounting the switch contacts in the housing and no separate screws or the like are needed. Contact 29 and tab 34 are readily assembled on housing part II and the inverted U-shaped ridge 23 serves to center and protect the tab and prevents it moving out of position by turning movement about shank or with shank 3!! as an axis. The metal strip is provided to give some resiliency between the operating means 34 and the lead wire 31. If this wire were soldered directly on the contact 33 the solder would run up the wire (capillary attraction) and render the wire stiii.

At present the switch of the invention is used in a defrosting device for electric refrigerators and the particular hook shape on the outer end of the operating means 34 is concerned with the operation of the switch by a cam of a clock which controls the times of opening of the switch. While the eyelet or rivet 33 provides a simple means for the securing of the housing parts in assembled relation any other desired means for this purpose may be used while retaining in the switch the other features above pointed out.

Fig. 8 shows a slight modification and in such figure where the parts are the same as previous y described they have been given the same identifying reference characters. In the modification the switch housing comprises a pair of parts I la and lEa of insulating material. Contact 29 and tab 24 are mounted on part lid and within the housing formed by the complemcntal parts Ma and lilo is the contact strip and operating member E l. Operating member (it is to be rocked on fulcrum .28 to move contact away from contact 28 as will be understood.

Spring 35 is omitted from the modified structln'e and a block ll) of live rubber serves to normally maintain contact 33 in engagement with contact 29 thus replacing the spring. The rubber block 40 bears against the headed end M of the shank of contact 33 and is partly mounted in a socket d2 provided in housing part 12a. Block 40 may be of natural or synthetic rubber but some forms of the latter, as Perbunan is preferred.

Having thus set forth th nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a switch, housing, a contact in s housing, said housing having entrance opening, an operating entering said housing through said opening, a fulcrum point on said housing, stop on said housing outwardly of said fulcrum point, a resilient means in said housing, a contact on said operating means inwardly of said fulcrun point, said resilient means acting s I operating means inwardly of said ruler-Liming po it and maintaining said operating means in position against the fulcrum and the stop, and said operating means adapted to be rocked on said fulcrum point against the opposition of said resilient means and away from said stop to carr its contact relative to the first mentioned contact.

2. In a switch, a housing comprising a pair of elongated complemental parts, means securing said parts in assembled relation, one of said parts having an elongated longitudinally extending recess in its inner face and extending from approximately midway thereof toward one end of the housing, said housing having an entrance, an operating means entering said housing through said entrance, a spring metal strip in the elongated recess and maintained therein by the other housing part and connected at its inner end portion to operating means, a contact on the inner end portion of said operating means and electrically connected with said strip, a lead connected with the free end portion of said strip passing out through the end of the housing, a second contact in the housing and mounted on one of its parts and arranged in alignment with the contact on said operating means, said second contact secured by a shank extending through a wall of the housing part on which the second contact is mounted, a metal tab connected with said shank at the outer side of said housing part and secured in place thereagainst by said shank, a socket in the first mentioned housing part at the side of said operating means, a resilient means seated in said socket and no ally maintaining the operating in position with its contact second mentioned conin engagement with the said housing and on which tact, and a fulcrum on said operating means may be rocked to carry its contact to open circuit position.

3. In a switch, a housing, a contact in said housing, an operating means entering said housmg, a contact on said operatin means within the housing, means mounting said operating means for movement to carry its contact to and from closed circuit relation with the first mentioned contact, a piece of thin spring metal mounted by the operating means and electrically connected with the contact thereof and adapted have lead wire connected therewith in spaced relation to said operating means, said housing comprising a pair of parts, and said parts having recesses receiving said operating means, contact and spring metal piece and in which they are held by the mutual action of the parts of the housing.

fl. In a switch, a housing of insulating material, a contact in said housing, a, shank on said contact and extending through a wall of said housing, a metal connector tab at the outer side of hot .g and clamped thereagainst by said shank whereby the tab is mounted on the body and is electrically connected with said contact, an operating means entering said hous ing, a contact directly on the operating means within the housing, resilient means normally urging said operating means into position with its contact in engagement with the first mentioned contact, and means mounting said operating means for movement to carry its contact away from the first mentioned contact against the urging of said resilient means.

5. In a switch, a housing, a contact in said housing, a connector tab at the outer side of said housing, means passing through a wall of the housing and electrically connecting said contact and tab and clamping them against the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of said wall, said housing wall having a recess in its outer side, said tab disposed in said recess and protected by the sides thereof and held against turning movement by said sides, a second contact in said housing, and means entering said housing and operable to move said second contact relative to the first mentioned contact.

6. In a switch, a housing comprising a pair of elongated complemental parts, means securing said parts in assembled relation, one of said parts having an elongated longitudinally extending recess in its inner face and extending from approximately m dway thereof toward one end of the housing, said housing having an entrance, an operating means entering said housing through said entrance, a spring metal strip in the elongated recess and maintained therein by the other housing part and connected at its inner end portion to said operating means, a contact on the inner end portion of said operating means and electrically connected with the strip, a second contact in the housing and mounted on one of said parts and arranged in alignment with the contact on said operating means, a

resilient means normally maintaining the operating means in position with its contact in engagement with the second mentioned contact, and a fulcrum on said housing and on which said operating means may be rocked to carry its contact to open circuit position.

7. In an electrical switch, a pair of complementary parts of insulatin material together forming a housing defining an inner space, a fixed contact secured to one of said parts and located in said inner space toward one side thereof, said parts defining an entrance to said inner space approximately mid-Way the sides thereof, an operating means passing through said entrance into said inner space and comprising a stifi flat member of insulating material, a contact fixed to the portion of said operating means in said inner space and located at the side thereof toward said fixed contact and in alignment with the latter, said housing in said entrance shaped to provide a fulcrum edge about which said operating means may be rocked to move the contact carried thereby toward and from the fixed contact, and compressable resilient means in said inner space at the side of the operating means opposite that at which said fixed contact is located and bearing against the housing and said operating means and tending to maintain the operating means in position with its contact in engagement with said fixed contact.

EDWIN G. GAYNOR. 

